Another Fine Mess
by BettyBackInTheDay
Summary: It would be a solo mission, they said. It would be a quick and easy recon, they said. He'd never even know you were gone, they said. They were wrong.


**A/N:** This was a quick fill for an Avenger's Challenge prompt at LJ. Just something quick and fun. I hope you enjoy it. All Hail Marvel!

**Another Fine Mess**

It would be a solo mission, they said. It would be a quick and easy recon, they said. He'd never even know you were gone, they said.

Well, somebody screwed up because here **he** was beside her, 40 stories up, backs pressed against the cold metal of the building, inching their way along the ledge outside of a conference room engulfed in flames. In her mind, that all added up to the opposite of easy.

"C'mon, Nat. Pick up the pace before they realize we were crazy enough to the punch out the window and take the ledge," said Clint Barton in a raised voice to be heard over the blowing wind.

"Speaking of crazy," she yelled as she shuffled along, "how, exactly, did we get in this mess?"

He stole a quick glance at her and smiled. "You needed back up. I'm your back up. I'm always your back up. Not rocket science, Tash."

"I didn't need back up. If it weren't for you shooting through the door, literally shooting through the door, I could've snagged the flash drive from the laptop and been gone. No muss, no fuss," she rambled off in an irritated tone.

"Negative. You were made from the minute you walked through the front door. You would've made it out, sure, but you would've taken a number of unnecessary casualties with you. Since New York, I know how that weighs on your mind –" he was cut off mid sentence.

"Shut up, Barton. All I want to know is how you knew where to find me," she growled.

He sheepishly replied, "I followed you."

Her head snapped up and her eyes narrowed to dangerous slits as she hissed, "You what?"

A deep sigh erupted from the archer as he quickly and carefully turned the corner. When Natasha was completely around the corner as well, he pointed to the grappling line that was embedded into a steel support beam. She tore her angry eyes away from him and followed the length of the line to its termination point – the flat roof of an apartment building nearly two blocks away.

Without missing a beat she said, "You haven't sufficiently answered my question."

He reached with his right hand and held strongly, possessively, to her left hand. "I told you. I got your back."

As she opened her mouth to protest, she was taken aback by the look in his eyes as he stared down at her. It was a look she'd seen plenty of times before but it never lasted more than an instant. Now he allowed himself to really look at her. No averted eyes, no snarky comeback, just an intense pair of gray eyes pulling at her.

Suddenly, loud voices broke the trance. Heavy boots thumped onto the ledge and began shuffling toward the corner.

He reached across his body with his left hand and forced a thick leather strap into the hand he was already clutching. "You know the –" his voice caught in his dry throat. "Ah-hem," he coughed. "You know the drill. See you across the street," he squeaked out.

With that, Clint let go of Natasha's hand and grabbed his own leather strap from around his shoulder. He threw it over the line, grasped each end and jumped. His body sped down the line and disappeared over the roof wall of the apartment building.

As she moved to take her turn on the line, she couldn't shake the look in Clint's eyes. What was that all about, she thought. She caught the glare of a gun barrel just beginning to turn the corner. "Sorry fellas, got a bigger mystery to solve," she whispered as she lunged off of the ledge and let gravity do the work.

As she raced across the span, she wondered if what she saw in Clint's expression a few seconds ago was reflected back to him on her own face. She was very careful to never slip around him. But, since New York… Well, since New York, nothing had been the same. For anyone. Maybe it would be ok if what they felt for each other didn't have to be repressed, at best, or completely ignored, at worst. They already worked as one mind, one body. It's not like missions would be compromised, which was always her favorite excuse. Tactically speaking, this could be a good thing, her wandering mind theorized. What if –

"Oh, shit!" she gasped just a millisecond before she slid at full speed into the deep end (she really hoped) of an Olympic-sized swimming pool. Surprisingly, the cold water didn't affect her train of thought at all. As she came to a stop under the water, she allowed herself a few moments to gather her thoughts. He would be waiting for her at the surface and she would demand answers. Getting this out in the open once and for all had to be done. If her instincts were off and he didn't feel the same way… well, she was rarely wrong. She'd cross that bridge if it came to that.

As she prepared to push herself up to the surface, she saw a shadow approaching her. She knew immediately that it was him. His strong arms encircled her waist and began pulling her up. Normally she would've pushed him away and swam the rest of the way on her own. But now… now she relaxed in his embrace and working together they broke the surface.

"Tasha—" he began.

"Clint – " she began at the same time.

They both chuckled and looked down at their bodies wrapped up together as they were effortlessly treading water. They worked in synch without even thinking about it. No, there was no way she was wrong about this.

Off in the distance they could hear loud shouts and an approaching helicopter. As they turned their attention to the building they had just left, they could see their pursuers prepping to use their grappling line. "No way. No effin way. They are not going to ruin this moment," grumbled Clint.

He kept his arm around Natasha as he pulled them both toward the edge of the pool. Once there he grabbed his bow and pushed a button. Suddenly the stakes embedded in the pool wall retracted and the entire line shot from the pool, over the wall, and whirred toward the side of the building holding the other end of the line. The screams got louder as those already hanging on the line slammed into the side the building and held on for dear life.

As the chopper got closer, the gray eagle enclosed in a circle stared down at the assassin couple. A slight tip of the aircraft was the only sign that their presence in the pool had been spotted. Now it was up to the cleanup crew to capture the hackers hanging from the roof.

"So," said Natasha as she tilted her head and gently brought his face and his full attention back to her. "We were having a moment?" she inquired with a low voice and raised eyebrows.

"An epic moment," whispered Clint.

As their lips met, they pulled each other impossibly closer. A weight had been lifted from both of them. They knew it wouldn't be easy, but it would be easier than having to continue to deny their feelings.

When they ended the kiss, Natasha's arms remained draped over his shoulders as he held them up by resting his arms on the side of the pool on either side of her. She looked him in the eyes and smiled. "Well, Barton. This is another fine mess you've gotten us into."


End file.
